More than two months after the elections in which it lost its majority, the ANC's national working committee (NWC) has descended on KwaZulu-Natal in what many expect to be a fact- finding mission on the party’s poor showing on May 29.
The province, once seen as a party stronghold, was one of the regions where the ANC suffered heavy losses.
News of the arrival of the NWC was confirmed by ANC KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson Mafika Mndebele.
Today, party president Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to address members from the Moses Mabhida Region, Pietermaritzburg, with secretary general Fikile Mbalula set to meet eThekwini Region members and chairperson Gwede Mantashe expected to be at the Josiah Gumede Region in Ladysmith, among other leaders deployed.
There were suggestions the NWC would be reading the riot act to provincial leaders, following the elections results.
The losses at the polls saw the ANC compelled to forge an arrangement with the Inkatha Freedom Party.
The poor performance in KZN, which used to be the ANC’s power base, was attributed to poor service delivery at municipal level, with many citing eThekwini Metro and Msunduzi Municipality as examples of a decline in governance, and where water and electricity provision were among contentious issues in the lead up to the elections.
In a report from its national executive committee (NEC) gathering two weeks ago, the ANC top brass noted three inter-related and intersecting factors. The report identified the crisis of the economy and social reproduction, profound governance weaknesses and major organisational problems, which, it insisted, could only be addressed through fundamental renewal.
“The NEC resolved that we must use this moment to also shed all signs of complacency and arrogance; to be totally intolerant of corruption and incompetence,” read the report.
It is against the backdrop of such remarks that some have suggested this could be a telling moment for the provincial leadership. However, Mndebele dismissed any suggestions of the provincial leadership being fearful over the arrival of the NWC, saying they understood this to be part of the ANC’s plan of rebuilding and strengthening of the organisation.
He expressed confidence that the leadership would carry out its work unhindered.
Members from eThekwini Region, the ANC’s largest in the province, were adamant they would not be the focal point, insisting that such focus would be on the national leadership.
“It is natural that the leadership would look at the two municipalities because in terms of size they are the biggest in the province, but we are quite sure that this will not be the focus of the NWC when they are here,” a branch member who did not want to be named said.
The NWC is made up of, among others, the president, secretary general, the chairperson, treasurer general and other senior leaders within the party.